| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.43 |
| Liaison | Cora Kenfield |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2022 |
Vassar College
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.29 / 3.00 |
Cora
Kenfield Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
Vassar utilizes the SIMAP Platform run by the UNH Sustainability Institute.
Scope 1 and 2 data is compiled by Facilities Operations from utility bills.
For Scope 3:
Commuting emissions were calculated based on a comprehensive mode share survey with a ~60% response rate.
Business travel and student study abroad travel emissions are calculated by establishing a dollar-per-mile conversion through reviewing college credit card reports and running an airplane miles calculation based on the coordinates of Vassar and the destination. This conversion is updated every 3 years; in intervening years, a more expedited conversion of total spending times the conversion factor is undertaken.
Remaining data is tracked through reports provided by our vendors.
Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:
The Sustainability Office leads the regular updating of the college's Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory. Once the calculator has been updated, faculty and administrators from the Sustainability Committee volunteer to provide an independent review of the numbers.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 12,173 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 292 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 2,237 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 333.36 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | No | --- |
| Capital goods | No | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 0.04 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Other sources | No | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Travel data was gathered from purchasing system; remaining data is supplied by vendors. Due to pandemic, Vassar had de minimis emissions in several categories traditionally reported.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | --- |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | --- |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | --- |
| Particulate matter (PM) | --- |
| Ozone (O3) | --- |
| Lead (Pb) | --- |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | --- |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | --- |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | --- |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | --- |
| Area sources | --- |
| Mobile sources | --- |
| Commuting | --- |
| Off-site electricity production | --- |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
In accordance with federal laws, the college monitors the air emissions from the on-campus heating plant, however an inventory has not been made publicly available.
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.